A-level results day: Boris Johnson insists results are ‘robust’ despite nearly 40% of marks downgraded with biggest reductions among disadvantaged students
Concerns over use of mock results spark backlash from teachers, students and ministers
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Your support makes all the difference.Hundreds of thousands of school leavers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are receiving their A-level results, as ministers face pressure over a last-minute change to allow students to choose their mock exam results if they are unhappy with their grades.
Exams this summer were cancelled due to the pandemic and students will receive estimated grades to help them progress into university, work or training.
But the use of mock grades has drawn criticism from teachers, students and ministers, who warned the change contained “massive inconsistencies” and “beggars belief”.
Labour leader Keir Starmer hit out at the eleventh hour changes, calling it “shambolic”.
“This is a complete fiasco. It was obvious this was going to be difficult but it’s been weeks or months in the coming,” he said, noting the fallout last week in Scotland where grades were downgraded for students from more deprived areas.
Education secretary Gavin Williamson has insisted the system is fair and “robust”.
Ministers face fresh calls to follow Scotland’s U-turn on results
Students embrace each other after collecting their A-Level results at Ark Academy (Reuters)
Pressure is mounting for the government to follow Scotland’s lead and scrap moderated exam grades in the wake of today’s A-level results.
Unions are now calling on ministers in England to use teachers’ predicted grades after it was revealed nearly 40 per cent of results were downgraded after moderation.
Jo Grady, general secretary of the University and College union (UCU), said: “The Government needs to accept it has got this badly wrong, stop trying to pull a rabbit out of the hat and keep things simple by using teacher predictions - as happened in Scotland.”
Larissa Kennedy, president of the National Union of Students (NUS), added: “We must look at what this will mean for individual students without such action, many of whom will miss out on opportunities to attend the university of their choice because of this process.
“For 3 per cent of students to have had their results downgraded by two grades means that there will be thousands of students receiving results that are no reflection of their true ability.”
Teacher’s union NASUWT also urged higher education institutions, employers and training providers to be more “flexible” when making recruitment and admissions decisions this year.
“No young person’s future life chances should be compromised as a direct consequence of the decision this year to cancel examinations due to the Coronavirus pandemic,” said NASUWT general secretary Dr Patrick Roach.
“At the centre of this latest political storm are those young people whose futures depend on their awards and the consequences of Ministerial decisions.”
He added: “Lessons will need to be learned on how best to secure a more resilient qualifications system which recognises fairly the achievements of all students next year and in future years.”
Ofqual must consider ethnic minority and disabled children in A-level result decisions
The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has warned the exams regulator for England that it must consider the "equality impacts" of its actions in any decisions it takes concerning A-levels.
EHRC chief executive Rebecca Hilsenrath said it would consider "all our powers" to ensure those such as ethnic minority and disabled children were treated fairly by Ofqual.
"The pandemic has hit the younger generation hard. Education has been particularly disrupted, with potentially life-changing consequences for young people, particularly ethnic minority and disabled children," she said.
"Many of these children come from disadvantaged backgrounds. If we are going to build back better and not make things worse, it needs to start with our children's future.
"We have been clear with Ofqual that they must consider the equality impacts of all their actions and mitigate against any potential negative effect on these groups.
"We will continue to discuss this with Ofqual and consider all our powers so that ethnic minority and disabled children, for example, are treated fairly in this process."
School and college leaders call for urgent review of A-level grading system
Students at Ark Globe Academy in Brixton, London, receive their A-Level results (PA)
The government should urgently review its moderation process in England after nearly 40 per cent of A-level results were downgraded, say school and college leaders.
The Association of Colleges (AoC) called on Gavin Williamson and Ofqual to take action to avert hundreds of colleges from having to make individual appeals.
David Hughes, chief executive of the AoC, said he heard from a number of colleges where over half of their school assessment grades have been adjusted downwards following moderation.
After this summer’s exams were cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic, teachers were told to submit predicted grades for each student alongside a rank order of students.
Exam boards then standardised the grades provided to ensure results were not much higher than previously and the value of grades were not undermined.
But the AoC is concerned the process may have disadvantaged larger centres, such as colleges.
In a letter to Mr Williamson and Ofqual chief regulator Sally Collier, it said: “We cannot stand by when the evidence suggests that many thousands of students may have missed out on their grades because of a systemic bias.”
It comes after the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) also called on the government and Ofqual to review the moderation process.
London state school vows to appeal all results over ‘flawed’ grading system
Brampton Manor Academy, a state sixth form in East Ham, London, has said appeal the A-level results of its “entire cohort” after its students received “nothing like what they deserve” today.
47 of 51 students there holding offers from Oxbridge confirmed their places and over 100 pupils achieved straight A*-A grades today.
But Sam Dobin, director of the sixth form, told the Evening Standard those who were downgraded deserved more.
He said the exam boards awarded the school "the same results as the last few years, but this year’s cohort is more able”.
“That’s the data… their GCSE results were better than previous cohorts, but their A-level results now are not,” said Mr Dobin.
“That is not what we were promised, we were told prior attainment would be taken into account [by the Department for Education] and our view is that, from what we have seen, prior attainment has not been taken into account.”
He said although they were happy for their students, the system had “fallen short” and they “will fight for those students”.
Scottish education secretary faces vote of no confidence
Scotland’s education secretary John Swinney is facing a vote of no confidence following last week’s controversy over exam results, which prompted the Scottish Government to U-turn and upgrade pupils’ results.
Richard Leonard, leader of the Scottish Labour party, said Mr Swinney has “failed” to carry out his duty and “no longer commands the confidence of this chamber”.
He added: “We decided that we have no choice but to table this motion of no confidence.
“This is not a decision we took lightly, motions of no confidence have been laid only sparingly in the history of this parliament.”
However, the motion is expected to fall at decision time despite having support from Labour, the Tories and the Lib Dems.
PA
‘Abomination of an Education Secretary’: Gavin Williamson faces calls to resign amid results backlash
Angry students, parents and teachers have called on the education secretary to resign as the fallout from the A-level results revelations continue.
School-leaver Aaron told LBC radio that the government’s actions were a “catastrophic failure” after he received results that were downgraded.
Aaron was predicted an A* and two Ax for his A-levels, but was instead awarded BCC. He said there was “no logic” to the grading system.
“The back-pedalling from the Department of Education yesterday with this stupid triple-lock which they thought was going to save the day. It’s done nothing. They only did it as a reactionary measure because of what Scotland and Wales were doing.
“I call - and I think I speak for everyone - for Mr Gavin Williamson to resign, he is an absolute abomination of an education secretary. He is a disgrace.”
Others have called for Mr Williamson to step down over the situation online.
Government urged to waive appeal fees
School leaders’ union NAHT has called on the government to make sure there are no financial barriers to schools seeking to appeal A-level results for their students.
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of NAHT, said: “The most important outcome for 2020 is that students get the results they deserve.
"There is an appeal system in place, and this is the key process by which any error or disadvantage can be quickly rectified. Schools and colleges must be able to utilise this to seek redress where they believe they should.
“The government must make sure that there is no financial barrier to a school or college making an appeal. In the interests of fairness, and to help students, in this unprecedented situation, it is imperative that schools and colleges do not face additional costs when making appeals, or when making entries to the autumn exam series."
Prime minister expresses confidence in education secretary
Boris Johnson said that he has confidence in the education secretary, Gavin Williamson.
The prime minister said: "I think obviously it was going to be very difficult in the absence of formal proper exams this year of the kind that we normally have because of the virus, we've had to put in the system we have.
"I do think it's robust and as I say, a couple of things I think are very important - first of all, more students than ever before are able to go to their university of choice, to do the course of their choice.
"And on your point about kids, pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds, more than ever before are now able to go to university, are going to university this year as a result of the grades they've got today."
Asked if he has confidence in Mr Williamson, he said: "Of course I do, but I think this is a robust system and it's one that is dependable for employers.
"It's very important that for years to come people should be able to look at these grades and think these are robust, these are dependable."
Boris Johnson says students will be able to resit exams
Boris Johnson said that where pupils feel they could have done better in their results, they will be able to resit exams.
The prime minister said: "Where pupils are disappointed, where they feel that they could have done better, where they feel that there's an injustice been done to them, there is the possibility of appeal and they can resit, they can take a resit this autumn as well.
"But looking at the big picture, I think overall we've got a very robust set of grades, plus you've got the situation in which more pupils than ever before are getting their first choice course at university and more kids from disadvantaged backgrounds going to university."
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